Application of LCA as a decision-making tool for waste management systems

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Askham Nyland ◽  
Ingunn Saur Modahl ◽  
Hanne Lerche Raadal ◽  
Ole Jørgen Hanssen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Decision Making Tool

scholarly journals Are LCA Studies on Bulk Mineral Waste Management Suitable for Decision Support? A Critical Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4686
Author(s):  
Christian Dierks ◽  
Tabea Hagedorn ◽  
Alessio Campitelli ◽  
Winfried Bulach ◽  
Vanessa Zeller
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Substitution Effects ◽  
Impact Categories ◽  
Waste Streams ◽  
Mineral Waste ◽  
Lca Results

Bulk mineral waste materials are one of the largest waste streams worldwide and their management systems can differ greatly depending on regional conditions. Due to this variation, the decision-making context is of particular importance when studying environmental impacts of mineral waste management systems with life cycle assessment (LCA). We follow the premise that LCA results—if applied in practice—are always used in an improvement (i.e., decision-making) context. But how suitable are existing LCA studies on bulk mineral waste management for decision support? To answer this question, we quantitatively and qualitatively assess 57 peer-reviewed bulk mineral waste management LCA studies against 47 criteria. The results show inadequacies regarding decision support along all LCA phases. Common shortcomings are insufficient attention to the specific decision-making context, lack of a consequential perspective, liberal use of allocation and limited justification thereof, missing justifications for excluded impact categories, inadequately discussed limitations, and incomplete documentation. We identified the following significant issues for bulk mineral waste management systems: transportation, the potential leaching of heavy metals, second-order substitution effects, and the choice to include or exclude avoided landfilling and embodied impacts. When applicable, we provide recommendations for improvement and point to best practice examples.

scholarly journals Correspondence Between Technology Options Available for Chemical Industries and the Levels of the Waste Management Hierarchy: A Case Study Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. D’Sa ◽  
D. Patnaik ◽  
V. Acham ◽  
S. Jadhao
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Industrial Solid Waste ◽  
Guiding Principle ◽  
Management Hierarchy ◽  
Decision Making Tool

The Waste Management Hierarchy is used as a guiding principle for waste management of industrial solid waste. Further, it is extended for the management of industrial liquid effluents as well. The Waste Management Hierarchy consists of the five levels namely; waste prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal. This five-tiered Waste Management Hierarchy has been adopted by the European Union under the Waste Framework Directive as a decision-making tool. This paper explores some of the technology options known and available and categorizes them according to the five levels of the Waste Management Hierarchy. This paper presents brief case studies that highlight some benefits to those who embrace this decision-making tool.

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